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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24519910">chrysanthemum.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kestiskyber/pseuds/kestiskyber'>kestiskyber</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>obidala's flowers. [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU where the Jedi are actually smart, Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Author Is Sleep Deprived, But it's too late, Canon Divergence - Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, F/M, Gen, Light Angst, Movie: Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Padme's pregnancy isn't secret, You're Welcome, and Darth Vader is created, but Padme dies anyway, except the Jedi find out about Palps a bit earlier, except the father part, i did this instead of my history exam, it's supposed to be poetic, obidala undertones, so the same flow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:21:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,278</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24519910</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kestiskyber/pseuds/kestiskyber</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"You know, Obi-Wan, our friendship reminds me of the meaning of a chrysanthemum." she tells him, a small smile playing on her lips.</p><p>"If I may ask, senator, what does it mean?"</p><p>Padme's smile widens into a grin, "Love and loyalty. Two things I believe we display well." After awhile, she adds: "Let's never stop the practice being a chrysanthemum."</p><p>❀</p><p>She's his friend, and that's the hard part. He knows his turn will hurt her, and that by hiding in her ship to get to him, he's using her. Which is why after all of that and so much more, he's not ready to loose her.</p><p>Or, a RotS AU where the Jedi found out about Palpatine and the Empire sooner, but still too late. Featuring some Obidala undertones, because I ship it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Padmé Amidala &amp; Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Obi-Wan Kenobi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>obidala's flowers. [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1783204</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>chrysanthemum.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hi! quick notice for the dialogue: if it feels familiar or unfamiliar, it's been taken from the original Revenge of the Sith script, for the Mustafar scenes anyway. hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span class="Jzw6hb"> <span class="seLqNc">chrysanthemum</span> </span> <strong> <span class="Jzw6hb"> <span class="seLqNc"> (kruh</span> <span class="acmyv">·</span> </span> <span class="Jzw6hb"> <span class="seLqNc">san</span> <span class="acmyv">·</span> </span> <span class="Jzw6hb"> <span class="seLqNc">thuh</span> <span class="acmyv">·</span> </span> <span class="Jzw6hb"> <span class="seLqNc">muhm)</span></span></strong></p><p>
  <em> <span class="Jzw6hb"> <span class="seLqNc">meaning love and loyalty.</span> </span> </em>
</p><hr/><p>As the elevator halted to a stop, Obi-Wan's mind traveled back to Padme's message. She had told him that she was worried about Anakin, as he had started acting strange. He had finished his tasks at the Jedi Temple for the day (carefully, but quickly) and had gone to pay her a visit.</p><p>Now, exiting the elevator, he witnessed her pacing her living room floor, olive green robes trailing behind her. </p><p>"Padme," he greeted quietly.</p><p>The Nubian senator turned, her loose chocolate curls following her action.</p><p>"Obi-Wan, I'm sorry I didn't see you there," Padme gestured to the orange couch in the middle of the room, "Come, sit with me." before sitting down herself.</p><p>The Jedi Master obliged and took a seat beside her.</p><p>"Would you like a refreshment? Threepio can get it for you." In all honesty, the woman looked skittish, almost like she was trying to avoid the subject, as if he wouldn't relate and call her out for a misinterpretation of Anakin's character-- which was the opposite of the situation, really. Most of their conversations consisted of Anakin anyways, he was their mutual friend (though the Jedi Master suspected-- no, <em>knew </em>there was something more between the two) and almost served like a link to them.</p><p>"No, that's alright. What did you want to tell me about Anakin?" </p><p>Obi-Wan saw Padme swallow a lump in her throat, before sighing. "It's not that I don't trust Anakin, I do, but... I feel as though he's been spending too much time with the chancellor... and that it's affecting his way of being."</p><p>The Jedi had to agree, despite trying to tell himself before that Anakin had always behaved a certain way. The Jedi Knight had been moodier and a bit absent from the Temple in the recent days, saying he was with the chancellor late again, or that his change of demeanor was due to his lack of sleep. He'd always nod and make a sardonic joke or remark about his sleeping patterns and leave it like that, despite a voice trying to warn him of a hidden scheme involving his former padawan.</p><p>Instead of agreeing, he opted on asking, "Do you not trust the chancellor?" instead.</p><p>Padme redend a little, before replying: "His actions recently have been... questionable."</p><p>At this Obi-Wan nodded. The Jedi Council were suspicious of Chancellor Palpatine as well, and Obi-Wan had been itching to tell Anakin to stay away from him at times. "I agree with you. I also feel as though Anakin is being involved in a sinister plot without even knowing it."</p><p>"Are you insinuating he's turned to the dark side?" she sounded appalled, and he was too, before he'd accepted the possibility.</p><p>"It's possible," glancing down at her pregnant belly, he realized they were in different situations and added, "But nothing to worry about until it's confirmation."</p><p>Padme nodded curtly, before changing the subject to her baby. Smiling and star-eyed she told him about how her doctor had said the due date was in the coming days and how she couldn't wait to find out what gender it was. While she shared the names with him, Obi-Wan thought of how whatever Anakin and Padme had between them would be ultimately destroyed if what the Jedi suspected was true. If Anakin was truly the father, then he pitied the children and her as well. She looked so happy, and he really wished the scenario were different so she could be that way forever.</p><p>❀</p><p>But it turned out things were worse than suspected. Chancellor Sheev Palpatine was in fact a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious and had successfully corrupted the Republic, slaughtered the Separatists and diminished the Jedi Order, all with his new apprentice Darth Vader-- formerly Anakin Skywalker-- by his side.</p><p>
  <em>"Destroy the Sith we must."</em>
</p><p>Yoda's words echoed through his head, as Obi-Wan found himself boarding Padme's ship without her consent or knowing. When he'd told her of Anakin's demise, she hadn't taken it too well (as planned) and she'd gotten ready to go to him. When they exited hyperspace, he was shocked to hear the ship say they'd arrived in Mustafar. They had probably chosen it due to it's secrecy, seeing as it's heat was an acquired taste.</p><p>Obi-Wan heard Padme exit, Threepio remaining on board. He decided it was too soon to get off, and waited a few minutes, praying to The Force for everything to be okay. When he finally felt it was time, he snuck off the ship, being careful not to be spotted by Threepio. Though when at the mouth of the ship, Obi-Wan's goal of stealth was dropped when Anakin's eyes met his own.</p><p>"Liar." he snarled, anger blazing in his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Padme turns around and sees Obi-Wan there for the first time, she looks at him in disbelief, broken trust, confusion. He had used her to get to Anakin... to kill him, knowing what he was to her. Looking back up at Anakin to explain, she sees his anger directed towards <em>her</em>.</p><p>"No--"</p><p>"You're with him. You've betrayed me! You brought him here to kill me!"</p><p>When he reaches his hand out as if to choke her, Padme is scared that he'll near her and do so in his anger. His anger and him had always been so unpredictable, but never like this.</p><p>"No! Anakin. I swear... I..." her words were cut off, as well as her breathing, and she feels as if though an imaginary hand is constricting her air way. She sees that Anakin's hands are following the same pattern the pressure on her windpipe.</p><p>"Let her go, Anakin," she hears Obi-Wan say from behind her. She had almost forgotten he was her, but was thankful he was, despite it was his fault she was in this scenario.</p><p>Anakin's hold only seemed to tighten as he grinded out, "What have you and she been up to?" The Jedi Master dodged the question, instead deciding to repeat himself. "Let her go!"</p><p>Padme's vision blackened around the edges and she fell to the ground, unconscious.</p><p> </p><p>Both men that were very much conscious acknowledged each other fully, at last.</p><p>"You turned her against me." Anakin glares, pacing the landing platform like a caged lion, but staying in range. "You have done that yourself." Obi-Wan replies, motioning to his unconscious wife on the ground before them. "You will not take her from me!" Is all the new Sith says, throwing off his cloak. "Your anger and your lust for power have already done that," The Jedi flings off his own cloak in suit. "You have allowed this Dark Lord to twist your mind until now... until now you have become the very thing you swore to destroy."</p><p>They circle each other until Obi-Wan is near Padme. He places his fingers to her neck, checking for her pulse. And he almost lets of a sigh of relief when he feels the weak thump from under her skin.</p><p>"Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan," Anakin starts. "I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the dark side as you do. For I have brought peace, justice, freedom, and security to my new Empire."</p><p>"Your new Empire?" That's when Obi-Wan realized that the young slave boy from Tatooine, that he had trained into a respectable Jedi Knight was gone. He was now replaced by this angry and power hungry man.</p><p>"Don't make me kill you." Anakin's pacing stopped, leaving him with his back turned to his former master.</p><p>"Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic ... to democracy!"</p><p>"If you're not with me," his voice cracked slightly, "then you're my enemy."</p><p>"Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes" Obi-Wan pulls his lightsaber out, "I will do what I must." and ignites it.</p><p>"You will try." Anakin ignites his own, before back-flipping into the air, blue blade colliding with blue blade, a heated battle ahead.</p><p>❀</p><p>Sweat drenched him, partially because of the heat, the other because of the exertion he'd just endured after his duel with Anakin. When Padme's Naboo Cruiser finally came into view, the weight of the situation finally fell upon Obi-Wan's shoulders. He thought about Anakin's turning; were his teachings so weak and ineffective that Anakin had let himself be seduced so easily? The fact that the Republic was no more, that it was now replaced by a new Galactic Empire ruled by a Sith emperor; was there something the Jedi could've done to stop it, had they known sooner? But they had known, they'd been told by Count Dooku, a Sith Lord himself, before the Clone Wars.</p><p>
  <em>"What if I told you the Republic was now under the control of a dark lord of the Sith... hundreds of senators are now under the influence of a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious."</em>
</p><p>And they hadn't believed him, <em>he</em> hadn't believed him. It seemed like not only the senators had been under his influence.</p><p>"Master Kenobi," Threepio calls out to him from the mouth of the cruiser. Obi-Wan looks up, snapped out of his thoughts. "We have Miss Padme on board. Please, please hurry. We should leave this dreadful place."</p><p><em>Dreadful indeed</em>. He thought, boarding the silver ship. Inside, Padme lay on a cot, her breaths heavy and laborious. Obi-Wan puts his hand on her reddened cheek, feeling bad for her state. This was technically his fault too. If he hadn't boarded her ship-- no, he was doing his job, and there's no way he could've known. She stirs awake, her eyes half-lidded and confused. "Obi-Wan? Is Anakin alright?" she breathed. Obi-Wan looks at her sadly and doesn't answer, instead he brushes her hair back. Padme drops back into unconsciousness. Obi-Wan sighs, then retreats to ride in the co-pilot's station, Threepio conducting. Despite what Anakin had done to her, she still asked for him, she still loved him. The act alone made him think back to a few months before this mess, when things were brighter. He and Padme were admiring some flowers that had been sent to her (in hindsight, they were probably from Anakin). He didn't remember how exactly the conversation had fallen to her comment, but they had.</p><p>
  <em>"You know, Obi-Wan, our friendship reminds me of the meaning of a chrysanthemum." she told him, a small smile playing on her lips.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"If I may ask, senator, what does it mean?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Padme's smile widened into a grin, "Love and loyalty. Two things I believe we display well." After awhile, she added: "Let's never stop the practice being a chrysanthemum."</em>
</p><p>But while the med-droids did the best they could to keep her alive, his mind fell back to the research he had made upon returning to the Jedi temple. Chrysanthemums also symbolized death, and he prayed to The Force it wouldn't apply to her at this moment.</p><p><em>"She has lost the will to live</em><em>," </em>a med-droid had said. Anakin's turn had influenced that, Obi-Wan knew. But why want to die when she had two newborn babies who needed their mother? Said twins-- Luke and Leia-- were being cleaned right now, and he looked their mother over, her alleged last breaths being taken. "You have twins, Padme. They need you... hang on."<br/><br/>She gasped for air, "I can't.."</p><p>The Force-choke had taken a toll on her trachea, and labor took a lot of her breath away. It wasn't only her lost will taking her life away. If only he hadn't been so selfish.<br/><br/>Padme winces again and takes Obi-Wan's hand. She is holding a piece of wood on a long string, a necklace of some sort.<br/><br/>"Save your energy." he says, squeezing her hand. "Obi-Wan... there," she gasps again, "...There is good in him. I know there is... still..."<br/><br/>One more gasp, and she then dies. Dies believing in Anakin. <em>If only you had seen what I saw.</em> He thought.</p><p>It seemed that they never did stop practicing the meaning of a chrysanthemum, albeit himself. In her last moments he had practiced self love, leading her to her doom, he wasn't loyal, instead he had ended up using her, and he hadn't died. Was it really his destiny to live with the pain that everyone he loved was meeting their demise so soon?</p><p>Obi-Wan studies the necklace, finally recognizing it. Padme wore this all the time she could after the Trade Federation ordeal in Naboo. But then again, he hadn't known her before then, so it could've been a gift from home or something that she never took off. But it's simplicity and childlike carvings led him to believe this was something young Anakin had given her. Whoever it was from, she had a reason for giving it to him.</p><p>❀</p><p>Ben Kenobi stood in front of the grave of Padme Amidala, a red flower in hand. Bail Organa had decided to treat him to a trip to Naboo on the day that mark seven years of her death. On this day he wondered how things would've been if she had survived. Would she be with him on Tatooine or would she go deeper into the Outer Rim? Placing the single red chrysanthemum on her resting place. He didn't know why, but Ben felt compelled to tell Padme-- her tomb-- all about Luke and what he knew about Leia. He told her how much he missed her and how different things were-- both with life and the governmental system. Then he sighed, a sigh of loneliness and despair. Ben missed his friend dearly, both of his friends. One consumed by death and one consumed by darkness.</p><p>He couldn't wait to practice being a chrysanthemum to the fullest.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello there, again. that was extremely angsty and rushed near the end, but i promise if you keep reading the rest of the series (even if their mostly disconnected) you'll be in for fluff (maybe some deeper stuff), less angst and more. remember kudos are a juice to me, a motivation! &lt;3</p><p>comment what other things you want to see in this series, or just comment for fun since it brightens up my day!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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